Ascendant Station

The sunlight slowly faded away over the remains of cold steal and brick from the demolished buildings and streets. The smell of decaying wood and degrading fabric from the window I was looking out of filled my nose. I had to narrow my eyes as I scanned for any movement through the rubble on the streets. It was going to be a long night, it always is when it gets cooler out, the raids become more frequent. The feeling of hunger sets in and the need for warmth takes over and brings all sorts of depraved things out including other humans. What do you expect though it is a constant fight for survival. In 2125 the governing countries had a final fallout and a massive chemical and nuclear war destroyed the world as we knew it. No one really knows how many lives were lost. It has been told that half the population was killed by the impacts and then another quarter by the chemical and nuclear fallout. That is just hear say though sometimes it feels like a lot more were lost. We have worked endlessly the last 10 years to build Trebor City to make sure that all those who survived have a place to live. More cities arose as ours did with each one becoming more like its founders. The closest cities are Ektra which is mainly criminals and thieves there is no real order there with constant fighting for power. The next is Saint James, which I’m sure you guessed its founders were religious. Surprisingly there is not one definitive religion they all seem to stay to themselves and for the most part live in harmony. There is Morto City or dead city as we have all come to call it. This place has nothing it is a gathering of chemically altered and disease-ridden beings from all the fallout. Some are human, some are animals, and some you’ve never seen before. It is our job to keep Trebor safe from these cities and Morto being our biggest problem. They raid looking for food and whatever they can take, it doesn’t matter to them anything is on the menu. Then there is Ascendant Station it is the central location for every city we know about. All supplies and food get transferred through there and it creates the power cells that each city uses for electricity. No one knows who the founder of Ascendant Station is but without it most cities would not survive. I have never seen it but have heard it has great towers that can be seen glowing from miles away due to the electrical discharge, and the walls around the towers are at least 50 ft high and strong enough to take on any weapons without damage. No one is seen coming in or out of the towers and the security allows no one near them. The outer city is said to stay active 24 hours a day and always has trading going on. I hope to see it someday, but it is not looking to promising. By the way everyone calls me Vick it’s short for Victoria. Well enough of the history lesson for now time to go to work it looks like its going to be a busy night.

I grasp the heart-shaped locket around my neck and kiss it, it has always brought me good luck. It’s the only thing I have left from my parents. I pulled my helmet down, switched on the ventilation, and turned on the night vision hoping this age-old system didn’t glitch out on me tonight. There is no moon out and the fog setting in will make it difficult to see. I make sure my sidearm is chambered and ready then pick up the rife sitting by the windowsill. I set the rifle on the tripod and peak through the scope. I see the ground team locking down the doors leading into Trebor and getting into position. I would prefer to be with the ground team there is always more action, but instead I’m stuck up here tonight. Looks like our first wave is heading in and fast, as always right on time. I concentrate the scope on the front barricades and wait for orders to come through to fire. They are getting closer and I can hear the yells, screams, and screeches of the Morto’s as they fight among themselves to be the first in. The order finally comes through, I take a deep breath line up the cross hairs on the first target. I slowly squeeze the trigger it hits my mark in the chest sending it on the ground in a rolling tumble. I quickly pull the bolt action back, load a round and fire, another hit! I can not believe how fast they are coming in tonight. I don’t recall them every being this persistent, something feels different tonight, something feels wrong. I hear the anxiousness over the radio’s, they’re coming from the south side! They never attack from the south side I reposition in the window to get a better look and then I hear it. That whistle sound is coming from above, someone is helping them this can’t be. I stand up to relocate my heart pounding then all I see is a flash of blinding light, then everything is in darkness.